Fur cutting machine



Jan. 26, 1932.

R. PLASS FUR CUTTING MACHINE Filed March 27, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR ATTORNEY H Jan. 26,, 1932. R PLASS 1,842,557?

FUR CUTTING MACHINE Filed March 27, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR & u BY [Ya/fer] 1 w;

Patented Jam 26, 1932 ruler:

ROBERT 1-1. PLASS, F UPPER MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNQR TO 'IHE CHAPAL- BONNER CDLl llEPOTtlATIC N, OF

NEW JERSEY, GO'LEtLPORA'IION 015 NEW FUR CUTTING MACHINE Application filed March 27, 1931.

Th is invention relates to improvements in fur cutting machines for cutting animal pelts remove fur from the skins thereof; inch macnines being especially useful in the hat inanu'tacturing industry. it is the principal object of this invention to provide a fur cutting machine having a novel construction of means for feeding a pelt to the cutting iniives with a step by step movement of mail amplitude, whereby the pelt is prog vely sheared through close to the roots or the back-turned fur, so that l-lllVti'n or chips of skin are successively cut away while at the same time severing the fur filaments tl'iercirom with a minimum of waste.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pelt teeding mechanism which is so coir-dun; ,(l and arranged as to grip the pelt and feed it forward and then firmly hold the same at points very close to the cutting point of the machine hnives while subjected to the aring action of said cutting knives, whereb the pol :annot be dragged into the cutting drum so as to produce wasteful cuts, but rather is firmly held against undesired displace nawnt so as to assure only the cutting 01 narrow slivers to thus assure recovering of fur "a of maximum length. .her ohiect of this invention is to proa pelt lecding mechanism having two of cooperative gripping members artor alterna e feeding operation relancit, whereby while one set feeds and ieit the other is retracted to ini- 'wdmg pos tion ready for a succeeding hailing and holding operation.

t ltl'ier objects o l this invention. not at this time more particularly enmnerated, will be understood from the following detailed descripticn of the same.

an illustrative eml'iodin'ient of this inveniion is shown in the accompanying drawn which l is plan view of a tur cutting maing to the principles of this inr 2 is a vertical. transverse sec- 11 on line 2-2 in Fig. l; 8 is ooh-aged "tramneutary vertical transverse "ion, showing a pelt as operated upon by Serial No. 525,668.

the feeding and cutting mechanism of the nuzchine; Fig. l is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section, taken on line 4l-4 in Fig. 2; and F 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view, taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are employed in. all of the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to said drawings, the reference character indicates the base portion and 11 the end members of a framework, upon which the mechanism of the machine is mounted. Supported in connection with the end members 11 are adjustable bearing members 12. Journaled in and extending between said bearing members 12 is a main shaft 18, upon which is lined the rotary cutting drum oil? the machine, comprising a hub-cylinder 1a to which the revolving cutting blades 15 are fixed. Preferably said cutting blades 15 are of the helical or curved shape, in longi tudinal extension, commonly used in fur cutting machines.

Suitably fixed to and extending between the upper ends of said end members 11, to oiltend longitudinally across the machine in front of the cutting drum, is a bed-knife support 16. Attixed to said bed-knife support is a bed-knife 17 having its cutting edge 18 downwardly directed to lie tangent to the path of movement of said revolving cutting blades 15 which are carried by said cutting drum. The cutting drum revolves in the direction of the arrow appearing in Fig. 1, whereby the revolving cutting blades 15 are carried upwardly pastzand in cooperative shearing relation to the cutting edge 18 of said bed-knife 17.

Said cutting drum is enclosed in a hood 19, provided at its forward side with an opening .20 contiguous to said bed-knife 17, Whereby pelts may be fed into operative relation to said bed-knife and the revolving cutting blades cooperating therewith. At the rear of said hood 19 is a discharge mouth 21 through which the slivers or chips of skin of the pelt from which the fur has been severed may be discharged to a suitable place of collection.

Suitably supported upon and between the end members 11 is a feed table or plate 22, which is disposed in substantially horizontal plane across the front of the machine, to extend toward the pelt feeding and holding 'mechanism and cutting point of the machine.

a 24; and each pair of gripping and advancing members of the other set comprises a like downwardly directed upper'gripper arm 25 and a like cooperating upwardly directed lower gripper arm 26. y w

The upper gripper arms 23 and 25 are all pivotally supported upon a fulcrum shaft 27, which extends across the machine between bearing brackets 28 which are connected with the end members 11 of the machine framework. Said gripper arms 23 and 25 are provided at their lowerfree ends with inwardly curved and somewhat pointed grippingterminals 29. The gripper arms 23 of one set are provided, intermediate their ends, with outwardly projecting perforate ears 30,

whereby the same are pivotally coupled with an'o scillator bar or shaft 31; and in like manner the gripper arms 25 of the other set are provided, intermediate their ends, but in another plane, with outwardly projecting perforate ears 32, whereby the same are pivotally coupled with another oscillator bar or shaft 33. Operatively connected with the respective ends of said main drive shaft 13, so as to be actuated thereby, are eccentric members 34, the connecting arms 35 of which are respectively coupled with the respective ends of the oscillator bar or shaft 31; and, in like manner, also operatively connected with the re spective ends of said main drive shaft 13, so as to be actuated thereby, are other eccentric members 36, the connecting arms 37 of which are respectively coupled with the respective ends of the oscillator bar or shaft 33.

The lower gripper arms 24 are carried by and at the free ends of lever members 33, which are arranged substantially at right angles to said gripper arms, and which, at their oppositeends, are provided with slotted cars 39 to receive a fulcrum shaft 40, thus so mounting the same that they are. capable both of swinging oscillation on said fulcrum shaft 40 and also of longitudinal reciprocation. Connected with the fulcrumed ends of air pervious material.

said lever members 38 are upstanding lugs 41 to which are connected anchor pull springs 42. The means for actuating said lever members 38 and the gripper arms 24 carried thereby comprises a cam shaft 43 which extends across and above the free ends of the lever members 38 within the angle formed therewith by said gripper arms 24. Said cam shaft is provided with eccentric cam members 44 which correspond to and operatively engage said lever members 38 and their gripper arms 24, which are tensionally held to such engagement by said pull springs 42.

The lower gripper arms 26 are also carried by lever members 45, similarly mounted on said' fulcrum shafts 40 for oscillation and reciprocation and similarly tensioned by pull springs 42in operative relation to the cam members 46 of a second cam shaft 47.

Said cam shaft 43 is driven from the main shaft 13 by a sprocket and chain drive 48,

and said second cam shaft 47 is driven from cam shaft 43 by interconnecting gearing 49. It will be obvious, however, that any other suitable forms of transmission means may be employed for driving said cam shafts.

Preferably said lever members 38 and and their actuating cam shafts 43 and 47 are suitably enclosed in a casing 50 adapted to contain oil or other suitable lubricant in which these parts are bathed. Extending along and in front of the cutting point of the machine, intermediate the same and the inner end of the feed table 22, is any suitable means for discharging the severed fur yielded by the cutting operations. Illustrative of one such means, I have shown the same to consist 'of a suction box 51 having its perforate top adjacent to and somewhat below the cutting point of the machine; said suction box being connected by a conduit 52 to any suitable form of air suction pump (not shown). Running over the suction box 51, so as to traverse its perforate top, is an endless conveyor belt 53 of Below said suction box is a' belt driving roller 54, the shaft 55 of which is journaled in the end members 11 of the machine frame-work. Suitable means are provided for actuating said roller 54. For example, rotatable on a stud shaft 56 is a gear 57 which is driven from the gearing 49 of the cam shafts, to in turn actuate a sprocket and chain drive 58 for driving the shaft 55 and roller 54. Angnlarly directed against the fur discharging course of said conveyer belt 53 is an inclined chute plate 59 by which severed fur is removed from the discharging course of said conveyer belt to be thence delivered out of the machine.

In the operation of the machine, the pelt, fur side down, is pushed by the operator over the feed table 22 toward the gripping and advancing members by which it is engaged andadvanced to the cutting point of the cw i point of the nnichine, thus carrying ard and machine. By virtue of the operation of the actuating means controlling their move- .ments, one set of said members, comprising eta-operative pairs of gripper arms, being first swung outward and separated so that the pelt may pass therebetween, are brought together in gripping relation to the pelt, and then moved inwardly toward the cutting the forward edge of the pelt so that the same is proj id slightly over the edge of the bed .hnife ll", over which it is held by said gripper arms to lie in the path of the revolving cutting blades 15. The forward movement of the pelt over the feed table 22 tends to lay back the fur, and consequently when a revolving cutting blade 15 shears oil the dge o l? the pelt shin projected over the bed-knife 15 a sliver or chip of the skin is cut or t sheared off, at the same time severing the fur therefrom close to the roots thereof. The fur thus severed drawn by the suction pro duced at the perforate top of the suction box 5'1 down upon the conveyor belt 53, to there ,5 by he carried to the chute plate 59 over which it moves to a place of collection. These operations are continued by alternative feeding operations of the respective sets of pelt advancing and gripping members.

The timed operation of the sets of pelt advancing and gripping means is as follows lly operation of the eccentrics 34, the oscillator bar 31 is thrust outward, to thereby swing the upper gripper arms 23 outward; it the same time the cams ll of cam shaft :5 are timed to push outward the lever memoers 38 and the gripper arms 2 f, while at h same time depressing the same, whereby he extremities of the latter are separated l'roi the extremities of the gripper arms 23, hereby releasing the grip of these parts upon he pelt while they are retracted for repetition of a pelt feeding stroke. The reverse irs of the eccentrics 3- 1: now swing downrd the gripper arms 23, while the cams moving away from the lever members 38 thereby permit the latter, under pull of their springs 42 to first swing upward to carry the lower gripper arms 24: into opposed gripping relation to the gripper arms and thereupon as the cams l l continue to move away from the bases of said grip or cross 24, allow the latter to travel inward in company with the inwardly swinging gripper arms 23, thus carrying the gripped pelt forward to advance the same over the bedltnife. The gripping arms Q32 l continue to hold the pelt, while the sliver or chip of skin is cut therefrom with fur severing effect. In the meantime. by similar action of the controlling eccentrics 36 and cams 4L6, the gripper arms 2-5-26 are separated and swing out or are retracted to initiate another pelt tl'ei'ading and holding stroke, which is timed to take place as soon as the gripper arms 23 24 release the pelt upon completion of a shearing stroke of the cutting mechanism. It will thus be obvious that the two sets of pelt feeding and holding devices will operate alternatively to produce a step by step feeding advance of the pelt until it is entirely consumed and the hair thereby severed therefrom.

From the above description it will be understood. that not only is the pelt under con trol at all times during its movement to the cutting mechanism of the machine, but that by reason of the peculiar design of the oscillatable gripper arms,the pelt may be gripped and held extremely close to the cutting point of the machine. This is of particular advantage, since it assures means for holding and controlling the extreme rear or trailing end of the pelt against being dragged into the machine before being properly consumed with fur severing effect, and consequently waste of fur with uncut tailings of pelts is eliminated.

I am aware that many changes could be made in the above described mechanisms as I well as in the details of the construction thereof, without departing from the scope of thisinvention as defined in the appended claims; it is therefore intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim 1. In a fur cutting machine, a cutting mechanism, and means tofeed a pelt to said i cutting mechanism, said feeding means comprising opposed gripping devices to engage opposite sides of a pelt, and means to oscillate said gripping devices toward and from said cutting, mechanism to move said pelt step by step toward the latter.

2. In a for cutting machine, a cutting mechanism, sets of opposed oscillatable gripping devices to engage oppositesides of a pelt to advance the same step by step to the cutting mechanism, andmeans arranged to actuate said sets of gripping devices with alternate pelt gripping and advancing effect.

3. In a fur cutting machine, a cutting mechanism, and means to feed a pelt to said cutting niec-hanisin, said feeding means including upper and lower gripping arms in opposed relation and mounted for movement toward and from each other to intermittent ly grip a pelt therebetween and also for move ment toward the cutting mechanism when engaged with a pelt but away from the cutting mechanism when in released relation to said pelt.

In a fur cutting machine, a cititting mechanism, and means to feed a pelt to said cutting mechanism, said feeding means in cluding upper and lower gripping arms in opposed relation and mounted for movement toward and from each other to intermittent 1y grip a pelt therebetween and also; for movement toward the cutt ng mechamsm when engaged with a pelt but away from the cutting mechanism when in released relation to said pelt, and-said gripping arms being gripping arms, and means for simultaneously.

actuating said lower gripper arms.

6. In a fur cutting machine, a cutting mechanism, and means to feed a pelt to said cutting mechanism, said feeding means including upper and lower gripping arms in opposed relation and mounted for movement toward and from each other to intermittently grip a pelt therebetween and also for movement toward the cutting mechanism when engaged with a pelt but away from the cutting mechanism whenin released relation to said pelt, means for. actuating said upper gripping arms, and means for simultaneously actuating said lower gripper arms, a pelt supporting table extending toward said feeding means, and a severed fur receiving and discharging means adjacent to said cutting mechanism and feeding means.

7. In a fur cutting machine, a cutting mechanism, and means to feed a pelt to said cutting mechanism, said feeding means comprising upper gripping arms pivoted to oscillate toward and from said cutting mechanism, lower gripping arms arranged to cooperatively oppose said upper gripping arms and mounted for compound oscillation to= ward and from said cutting mechanism and toward and from said'upper gripping arms, said upper and lower gripping arms cooperating to engage a pelt to advance the same step by step to said'cutting. mechanism and to hold said pelt against displacement while subject to cutting effect of the latter mecha nism, actuating means for oscillating said upper gripping arms, and actuating means for simultaneously oscillating said lower gripping arms cooperatively with said upper grippmg arms. I

8. In a fur cutting machine, a cutting mechanism, and means to feed a pelt to said cutting mechanism, said feeding means comprising upper gripping arms pivoted to oscillate toward andfrom said cutting mechanism, lower gripping arms arranged to cooperatively oppose said upper gripping arms and mounted for compound oscillation toward and from said cutting mechanism and toward and from said upper gripping arms, said upperand lower gripping arms cooperating to engage a pelt to advance the same step by step to said cutting mechanism-and to hold said pelt against displacement while subject to cutting effect of the latter mechanism, actuating means for oscillating said upper gripping arms, and actuating means for simultaneously oscillating said lower gripping arms cooperatively with said upper gripping arms, and said cooperative upper and lower gripping arms and their actuating means being arranged in alternately operating sets.

9. In a fur cutting machine, a cutting mechanism, and means to feed a pelt to said cutting mechanism, said feeding means comprising upper gripping arms pivoted to oscillate toward and from said cutting mechanism, lower gripping arms arranged to cooperatively oppose said upper gripping arms and mounted for compound oscillation toward and from said cutting mechanism and toward and from said upper gripping arms, said up per and lower gripping arms cooperating to engage a pelt to advance the same step-by step to said cutting mechanism and to hold said pelt against displacement while subject to cutting effect of the latter mechanism, actuating means for oscillating said upper gripping arms, and actuating means for simultaneously oscillating said lower gripping arms cooperatively with said upper gripping arms, a pelt supporting table extending toward said feeding means, and a severed fur receiving and discharging means adjacent to said cutting mechanism and feeding means.

10. In a fur cutting machine as defined in claim 7, in which said actuating means for said upper gripping arms comprises an oscillator bar with which the same are connected, and eccentric drivers for oscillating said bar.

11. In a fur cutting machine as defined in claim 7 in which said actuating means for said lower gripping arms comprises spring tensioned lower members to carry the same, said lever members being moimted for both up and down pivotal movement as well as longitudinal reciproc'atory movement, and rotatable cam means for effecting such compound movement. I I

12. In a fur cutting machine as defined in claim 7, in which said actuating means for said upper gripping arms comprises an oscillator bar with which the same are connected, and eccentric drivers for oscillating said bar, and in which said actuatingmeansfor said lower gripping arms comprises spring tensioned lever members to carry the same, said lever members being mounted for both up and down pivotal movement as well as bodily longitudinal reciprocatory movement, and rotatable cam means for effecting such compound movement in cooperative timecl relation to the oscillatory movement of said upper gripping arms.

In testimony, that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 24th cl 21y of March, 1931.

ROBERT H. PLAS'S. 

